KATHMANDU, May 20 (Xinhua) — Trilateral cooperation on economic issues among China, Nepal and India will greatly benefit for the development of the entire South Asia region, experts said on Friday.
Speaking at the “International Conference on Key Trends in China-Nepal-India Relations and New Development Strategy for Nepal,” the experts stressed on enhancing railway and road connectivity among the three neighbors.
“Nepal can act as a vibrant bridge between China and India which are the two emerging economies of the World,” Nepal’s Former Foreign Minister Prakash Chandra Lohani said. “Enhancing roads and railway connectivity among the three countries should be the top most priority which will greatly contribute to make the entire Asia region prosperous.”
The trilateral partnership among these three countries has become imperative in the changed global context, he said, adding that they should work for developing the Trans-Himalayan Railways.
The former minister, who is also a senior leader of ruling Rashtriya Prajatantra Party, believed the China-proposed Belt and Road initiative is highly important for neighboring countries like Nepal.
While delivering a speech at the conference, Professor at China’s Sichuan University Dai Yonghong highlighted China’s willingness to enhance partnership with India, Nepal and other neighboring countries for economic prosperity in the region.
“China has established the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and taken forward the Belt and Road initiative and both the initiatives are meant for enhancing economic cooperation among China and rest of other countries of the World,” he said, adding that China will happily welcome participation in these key initiatives.
“One Belt One Road Initiative will create win-win situation among China and other countries of the world which will be part of it,” the Chinese professor said.
Indian professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University Mahendra Lama presented a paper entitled “Relocating Electricity Inter-connections in Nepal-India-China Tri-Junction.”
“There are many examples worldwide of grids of neighboring countries being interconnected for exchange of power,” the professor said. “We can also work together between Nepal, India and China. India can take the lead in forming an Nepal-India-China tri-junction consortium to help in attracting regional and sub-regional investment partners.”
Nepal’s Former Finance Secretary, Rameshor Khanal, and Former member of the Planning Commission, Swarnim Wagle, also spoke on the potential areas of cooperation among China, India and Nepal on the economic front.
The two-day conference was jointly organized by four Asian think tanks – South Asian Institute of Management (SAIM), Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS), S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSI) and Nanyang Technological University.